Marketing and Sales are important business activities and everyone talks about them today. But a lot of the information you get about sales and marketing is wrong. They are different aspects of your business and they are related but they are not the same thing. If the word marketing fills you with fear and you dread thinking about sales, you'll get relief from this week's podcast.
Does the word marketing fill you with fear?
Do you dread the word sales in the same way and get stuck in that process?
Marketing and sales have been so over hyped and misrepresented in the online industry.
Let me begin this discussion by advising you that marketing is not sales although marketing is related to sales
And sales is not marketing although you need some kind of marketing effort to generate the interest required to make a sale.
Marketing means ‘bringing your goods and services to the attention of the market’
Think of the market as an audience that you are showcasing your products and services to.
What do they need to know about your product or service to be interested enough to want to know more
How do you let them know that their lives are enhanced by your product or service?
Note: you cannot market to people who have no interest in what you offer, no matter how much marketing you do
Example: vacations
5 kinds of vacation venues – all in one, cruises, hotels, adventure trips, camping
I am not interested in camping so I do not include those in my options
No matter how wonderful it may sound, I won’t consider camping.
That’s why information and education are the heart of your marketing. You'll quickly let people who have no interest in your products and services that you are not a good resource for them. And you will know who is and who is not your customer.
You can use marketing to create an interest when you focus on information and education first, instead of leading with your sales pitch
Sales is the process of offering goods for sale. Sales are an essential part of your business.
Your marketing begins the path to the sales form and the purchase process.
You market with eventual sales in mind but your marketing has to be honest, clean, and clear – no bait and switch. Listen to the example of how I got switched to a $500 per month membership from a $27 digital product (and yes, I demanded and received a refund).
Marketing is not a one-shot effort, it is a process of informing your audience about who you are and what you offer
Forget passion – you cannot market your passion but you can market why you are passionate
Your story is important but it will only appeal to the people who share the story or an interest in it.
Passion out of control – vegan client who tried to ‘convert’ me
Think of marketing as information and education, letting potential customers know there is a solution and you have it but first, you need to share that story so you create relevance with them. And once you have done your marketing, providing information and education, they will be ready to buy and you will have a loyal, long term client who will become a repeat buyer and a source of referrals.